"From Erie" ATC: Series: "Riding the Rails"

"From Erie". #6 in a series of 8 for a swap for the Yahoo Group! "artisttradingcards", titled "Riding the Rails". Created 9/8/05. Original. Collage.

I started this ATC with the very colorful background which shows in colored lines, where the railroad tracks were at some point in time. This came from a railroad atlas.

The railroad atlas had an antique illustration. I cut one steam locomotive out of that illustration. I realized it was from Erie and that it mentioned Chicago. I placd it on the ATC so that the map still showed the area where Erie was and also where Chicago was.

I had to use a map to see where Erie is so I wouldn't block it out.

I loved the artistic way the words "Erie railway" were written and wanted to use them in some way, so put it at the top, where it would not block out Erie or Chicago.

The hand was from that same illustration. I decided to use the hand as a pointer to point to where Erie was. I was going to leave it that way, but then I thought maybe no one would realize the finger was pointing to Erie on the map, so I circled it and wrote Erie in my handwriting. I later cut the word "Erie" out of another area on the same illustration and glued it on top of my handwriting.

I thought the card was done.

Later I was working on another ATC and was working with an antique souvenir postcard booklet. I saw the word "From" on it and loved the font as well as the flower illustration that was above the word "From". I decided to use it on this ATC, as the train was from Erie, but went other places (such as Chicago). I placed it so that it would read "From Erie". I thought the colors in the flowers and the background made a nice balance of colors.

I then thought I should take off the word "Railway" so it would just say "From Erie", and tried to, but it was ripping the background so I glued it back down.